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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Mississippi State, Mississippi » Poultry Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #213941
Title: Apparent Metabolizable Energy Needs of Broiler Chicks Subjected to Diverse Ambient Temperature Regimens

Author
item Dozier Iii, William
item CORZO, ALEX - MISS. STATE UNIVERSITY
item KIDD, MICHAEL - MISS. STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Journal of Applied Poultry Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/17/2008
Publication Date: 4/15/2008
Citation: Dozier III, W.A., Corzo, A., Kidd, M. 2008. Apparent Metabolizable Energy Needs of Broiler Chicks Subjected to Diverse Ambient Temperature Regimens. Journal of Applied Poultry Research 17:134-140.

Interpretive Summary: Getting chicks off to a good start is vital for optimum production efficiency. As fossil fuel prices increase, contract growers reduce brooding temperature as a means to reduce fuel usage, but this can impair broiler performance. One strategy may be to increase the dietary energy during the starter period to alleviate poor performance due to low brooding temperatures. This study examined the effects of feeding 3,040 and 3,140 kcal AME/kg from 0 to 15 d of age on subsequent 40 d growth performance and meat yield with broilers subjected to either an adequate or sub-optimum temperature regimen from 0 to 15 d of age. Broilers fed 3,140 kcal AME/kg had better feed conversion and caloric efficiency from 0 to 15 d when exposed to the sub-optimum regimen, but no differences occurred for cumulative growth or meat yield. This research indicates that increasing AME to 3,140 kcal AME/kg during the starter period in commercial practice is not justified.

Technical Abstract: Early chick performance is adversely affected by inadequate ambient temperatures. Increasing AME may help alleviate poor performance with chicks subjected to low brooding temperatures. This study examined broiler chicks provided diets formulated to either 3,040 or 3,140 kcal AME/kg when subjected to diverse ambient temperatures from 0 to 15 d on subsequent growth and meat yield responses. Two experiments (Exp) were conducted. In Exp 1, ambient temperature was considered optimum with set points of 34 C from placement to 4 d, 32 C from 5 to 9 d, and 29 C from 10 to 15 d. Sub-optimum ambient temperatures were 29 C from placement to 3 d, 28 C from 4 to 6 d, 26 C from 7 to 11 d, and 25 C from 12 to 15 d. In both Exp, diet and temperature were common from 16 to 40 d. Caloric consumption per unit of gain from 0 to 15 d was improved with chicks fed the moderate (M) AME (3,040 kcal AME/kg; 1,553 kcal of AME intake) diet compared with chicks fed the high (H) AME (3,140 kcal AME/kg; 1,614 kcal of AME intake) diet in Exp 1. From 0 to 15 d, feed conversion was improved with chicks provided the H AME diet (3,140 kcal AME/kg; 1,689 kcal of AME intake) over chicks fed the M AME diet (3,040 kcal AME/kg; 1,678 kcal of AME intake) in Exp 2. In both Exp, dietary treatments did not influence final BW gain, cumulative feed conversion, or breast meat yield. Providing chicks with a diet containing M AME (3,040 kcal AME/kg) when subjected to diverse brooding temperatures was adequate to support cumulative growth responses.